


From the Depths

by Indig0



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Abandonment, Amanda and Connor are mentioned, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Monster to Lover, Non-graphic injuries, Protective Upgraded Connor | RK900, The yearning is the most important part, Yearning, cannibalism mention, deep sea monster RK900, manta ray Simon, mer may, mermaid au, mostly anglerfish with some other bits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:42:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24344446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indig0/pseuds/Indig0
Summary: As humans' war destroys the surface world, the sea feels its impact.  Simon, a manta mer, is injured while fleeing, and rescued by a denizen of the deep.  Can he trust him?  Does he have a choice?(for Mer May!)
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Simon
Comments: 24
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

Memories of before were hazy, patchy, but that day was clear.

Fleeing, racing through the increasingly stinging water, dodging the projectiles that shot into it, never daring to stop. Simon was exhausted, a bundle of raw nerves, but he knew it was just as bad for the others and if they pressed on they… they had to find a safe place to take refuge, to take stock…

They’d found a recently sunken submarine and Markus had pulled Simon along when metal shards made a gash in his left fin, rendering it useless. In the narrow chambers, at least the water was still clean. Their gills pumped furiously as they looked around at each other. Simon glanced down at his fin, then quickly looked away. Even if he got out of here, he’d never glide effortlessly through the open water again, flying in joyful arcs above the surface…

“We have to go,” Josh muttered, his long tail whipping back and forth nervously.

“I can’t.” It hurt to admit that, more than Simon’s fin hurt.

“We can’t stay here long,” North muttered. “And if he stays here he’ll just die slowly. …Or fast, if they drop a bomb in the right place.”

Simon sucked in a breath, gills fluttering, and watched Markus. They’d looked to him as a leader since he’d fallen into their reef. Markus circled the small room anxiously. Simon knew what the right option was, he and North had talked about it before, in quieter times, but now that it came to reality he was _afraid._ He tried hard to control his shaking.

A distant crash shook the submarine and a school of tiny fish rushed past them. Markus clenched his fists.

“I’m sorry Simon.”

Simon looked up at Markus, the last of his dreams dying in his heart. He nodded.

“We need to go now,” North muttered, the taste of toxins already in her gills.

As they fled, the submarine shook again and began to tilt. Bombs crashed here and there, and at last the doomed submarine smashed through the thin shelf, sending rocks and debris down to the abyss.

Humans had only begun to explore the sea floor when they’d stopped to try to eradicate each other. They knew more about space than they did about the ocean, so there were many creatures they hadn’t discovered yet. They would have had no name for the creature making his way across the dark sea floor.

It was getting more and more difficult to find food, and he disliked trading with the abyssal sharks. They followed his light, and the way they stared at him was… unsettling. Not that he had any room to complain about that. They were less clingy after he ate one.

The water was cloudy and turbulent today – rocks and debris had been crashing down from above for a while. It would scare the fish away, but it might yield something interesting.

There was a large metal tube leaning against some rocks, and he ripped a hole in it with his long claws. It was full of tunnels and rooms, but they were rather a tight squeeze. He brightened his lure and stilled, waiting for vibrations. …Nothing moved. There was something breathing shallowly deep inside, and there was a lot of blood. And he was hungry.

The creature began peeling back bits of metal. There were a lot of things he didn’t recognize, but his hunger was growing more urgent with the blood he could taste. There was a bitterness clinging to everything too, but he overlooked that. Finally he found a pile of soft mammals wrapped in tough skin in one of the inner chambers. Their skins choked him for a moment, but they were barely attached and once he peeled them off it made quite a filling meal. They didn’t taste like anything he’d eaten before. Perhaps not something he’d want to eat all the time, and they would doubtless taste better fresh and without this bitter aftertaste that prevailed, but he felt much improved after devouring them.

There was still something breathing, though. Something larger than the mammals, but smaller than him. Slowly he made his way through the tube, and now he examined its contents more closely with his lure bright. Tiny instruments, floating objects, a few glowing lights on the walls…

At the end of the cylinder he found the source of the breathing. It was another mer, a bit like a skate, but more… vibrant. Black and white fins, thick and wide and triangular extending from its arms, with the left one torn. Its blonde hair waved softly in the current. Its breathing was shallow and irregular.

He drifted closer, extending a few barbels to investigate. The mer was warm – so warm! And his skin was so smooth and soft… When he put a hand tentatively on the uninjured fin, it jerked slightly. The deep mer pulled back. He’d found his meal, he should leave the other to rest.

…Except he was injured. And clearly didn’t belong here in the abyss. And someone else might come along…

Careful of the injured fin, the larger mer scooped him up and swam out of the ship. He’d take the other to a cave and wait until he woke. …He wasn’t sure what he’d do then, but he knew he couldn’t leave him here.

“What do you have there?”

He stopped short, clutching the other mer closer. A small gam of abyssal sharks shot up out of a crevice. “Mine,” he growled.

“Yours? Only yours? No manners, this one,” they murmured, darting around him. “So greedy.” 

He snarled, baring his massive teeth further and lashing his spiny tail.

The mer in his arms suddenly woke with a gasp.

“It’s big enough to share,” continued the frilled shark. “Tasty, I can taste it from here. Delectable…”

“Mine,” he snarled again deeper, and the mer he held squeaked and struggled. His lure was bright now, reacting to his agitation.

“Take him then, Loathesome,” a chimaera murmured, backing off. “Eat it all yourself. Yours.”

He shot into the nearby cave, looking over his shoulder as he slowly set the other down. No one seemed to have followed them so he peered down at the injured mer, his lure brightening. The other shrank back from him, gills pumping hard. He was pale and trembling. A manta ray, that’s what he was.

“W-what… what do you want from me?” the manta mer finally managed to gasp out.

He stared silently, lure starting to dim a bit. He didn’t need to start trouble with the sharks. Perhaps he shouldn’t have done that…

“I – my name’s Simon,” the manta mer murmured, still struggling to take in enough oxygen. “I’m…. I’m from the… the shallows. The surface.” He glanced up, but even if they hadn’t been in the cave he would have seen nothing but blackness beyond the little dim area of light the lure produced. “I didn’t… catch your name, was it Lo –“

“No,” he interrupted flatly, spines stiffening. 

Simon watched him, bent over his injury. “…Do you have a name?”

Pale blue eyes stared at him, shining in the light of his lure. “It’s not important. You don’t belong here in the abyss.” He paused. “…It’s too deep for you.”

“I’m – I’ll be okay,” Simon muttered, though his gills were pumping hard. “If I’m going to… bleed out or be poisoned or… I might as well suffocate.”

“Poisoned?” The lure bobbed uncertainly.

“It – above. The humans are… they’re fighting, trying to kill… each other, everything. The water tastes bitter…”

“Hm…” That would explain it. He didn’t know much about humans, but he knew about various toxins. “You were… hiding?”

“We – my friends and I, we were fleeing. They… there was a boat… hunting us, and I got hurt.”

“You were separated.”

“…I was left,” Simon murmured, gaze dropping.

A frown deepened on the craggy face. “You can’t stay here.”

“I’m… I’m sorry. I can’t… swim well, it’s hard –“

“You can’t breathe here,” he clarified, and came closer. In the light of his lure, Simon saw a massive mer with rough, rocky skin covered in spines and bumps. It might have been scarred, or that might just have been his normal appearance. Powerful muscles moved beneath the skin. Fangs poked out of his mouth from all sides, so long he couldn’t close his jaw all the way. Sharp claws extended from long fingers. The lure dimmed a bit as he continued to stare, and large blue eyes narrowed. “…I ate recently. I’m not going to eat you.”

“I didn’t – sorry, I don’t mean to be rude.” Simon looked away.

“I… know a cave farther up, where you might be… more comfortable.”

Simon’s face twitched. “If I’m going to die, what’s the point? Even if you don’t eat me – I really didn’t think you would – someone else will. I can’t escape from danger, I can’t feed myself so I’ll starve eventually, it’s… f-freezing down here, it’s poisoned up there, m-my… my friends… left me for… dead…” He curled up gasping, eyes squeezed shut.

A rough arm slipped around him, and Simon curled tighter. The larger mer lifted him up. “You need to rest. Not here. I’ll take you someplace better and find you something to eat.”

Simon remained frozen as the other carried him out, paused to look for danger, then began swimming steadily upwards. “Why?” he whispered.

The deep mer was silent, and Simon uncurled enough to see him looking upward as he swam. 

“Thank you,” Simon murmured.

They only veered once on their ascent. Simon was slowly coming out of his shock and getting more oxygen, and he knocked into the rough chest as they suddenly darted right. A moment later he was being offered a fish.

“Oh – I don’t… I… you don’t have to…”

“Eat.” The deep voice was surprisingly soft. “If you can. Slowly. You’re still breathing hard.”

“Can’t help it,” Simon muttered, laughing a little. He took the fish – much larger than he usually ate, with a precise puncture through the head. He couldn’t tell if he was hungry or nauseous, but he hadn’t eaten in… at least a day, he wasn’t sure how long he’d been unconscious. So he took an experimental bite. “Mm!”

The other mer bared his massive teeth a little further, and Simon realized that might be a smile. …Or a snarl of disgust. “I… I haven’t had this… fish before. It’s good. Thank you.”

“Lanternfish,” he muttered. He didn’t sound disgusted. 

Simon devoured half the fish, then paused. “Would you like the rest?”

“Nn. I’ve eaten already.”

Simon finished off the fish in silence, then watched the water around them. Though his skin was rough and bumpy the other mer held him gently, careful of his injured fin. Simon found himself leaning into the broad chest. It was easier to breathe now, and the adrenaline was beginning to wear off. He wasn’t going to die in agony and terror. He wasn’t sure if he was safe, but… it felt like he was. Or he was too exhausted to care. He had just closed his eyes when their course changed again. Simon’s head jerked up to see they were heading towards a rocky slope. There was still no light other than the lure, but this depth felt more familiar. They entered a cavern, and the other mer scanned the area before gently laying him down.

“Are you all right? Your breathing is less… troubling.”

“Yes. Thank you. Are… you all right here? It doesn’t bother you?”

“I shouldn’t go much further up, but this is all right.” His gills looked fine, so Simon nodded. “You should rest. I’ll be outside.” He turned to leave.

“…Why?” Simon asked. “Is it dangerous?”

“Potentially. I don’t know what hunts these waters, but I believe it’s safer than the abyss.”

“You – could you… stay, then?” Simon asked uncertainly. “If… you’re just going to be outside anyway?”

He paused and turned back. “I thought you’d be more comfortable sleeping if… you were alone.”

Simon winced. “I don’t mind. I’d actually – you can stay. If you want. If not, of course I understand.”

The larger mer stared openly at him.

“Nevermind,” Simon muttered, curling up.

“…I’ll keep you safe,” the deep voice murmured after a while. “I – the sharks call me… Loathsome. My mother called me Superior. My brother called me… just brother. What does… Simon mean? I haven’t heard it before.”

Simon turned to face him. “It’s an old name. It means ‘one who listens.’”

The lure brightened a little, illuminating a thoughtful expression. “I… I hunt. I kill. I… hide.”

“And you protect. You light the way. …It’s reassuring to be near you.”

“…You listen well, but are you blind?”

Simon laughed. “You don’t look like anyone I’ve seen before. But you’ve given me no reason to fear you.”

He was quiet for a moment, drifting closer as he thought. “…Rrrrhouan,” he finally growled quietly. “If you want… to call me… Rhouan. It’s… a deep word.”

“What does it mean?”

“…I’ve only heard it cried from the trenches. Not… fearful, but maybe… searching for… something lost, or something that was never there to begin with.”

Simon reached up and took his hand and he startled, not realizing he’d floated so close. “Rhouan, then. Something that will be found, even if it was lost once.”

Rhouan’s craggy face twitched and his mouth spread, and Simon smiled back. “You should… rest,” he mumbled. “I’ll keep watch.”

“Just… don’t go too far?” Simon didn’t let go of his hand.

“I’ll… stay here. If you want.” …How did he hold anything with such soft hands?

“Thank you,” Simon sighed, and curled a little more loosely on his side, spreading the injured fin out carefully. The bleeding had stopped, and maybe… maybe he’d be able to swim again someday. He fell into an exhausted sleep after a while, the looming presence and glowing light making the strange cave seem almost comfortable.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon and Rhouan get to know each other. Simon starts to heal, and makes some new friends who can help.  
> (the yearning grows stronger every day)

“My brother showed me this once,” Rhouan murmured as he gently gently rubbed a jellyfish over his injuries. He flinched, but slowly relaxed.

“It’s… numb! That’s amazing!”

Rhouan smiled around his teeth.

“Are you and your brother close?”

“We were. Despite… our mother set us against each other constantly.”

“That makes it hard.”

The deep mer nodded. “I killed her after she ate him.”

Simon stilled. “…Oh. I – I’m sorry.”

“As am I.” He paused. “Are you… close to your family?”

“Ah – I was close to my brother. We were twins, we did everything together. He was my ambition, I was his impulse control. …I wasn’t there when the humans killed him.”

He hadn’t pulled away when Rhouan touched him before, so he put a large hand over the narrow shoulder. Simon leaned into the touch slightly.

“I… I’ve been hiding and running for about two years now,” he murmured. “There are two friends I’m very close to - three now, North, Josh, and Markus. They’re like family to me.” He paused. “I hope they’re all right.”

“They left you.”

“They – we were all in danger, I couldn’t swim any more, they had to get away. I don’t hold it against them.”

“I always believed the abyss was more dangerous than the surface, but perhaps I was wrong…”

“It wasn’t always like that. It used to be… peaceful, beautiful… We’d glide through the water, jump up into the air… it was like flying,” Simon sighed, sitting back. “As long as we avoided the humans and some of the bigger predators, it wasn’t too dangerous. Now… we’re not even the targets, they just attack anything that moves. And… it’s hard to feed with the poisons they put in the water.”

“There are fewer fish below as well,” Rhouan muttered. “It’s grown harder to hunt. …Where will you go when you heal?”

“Hm… I’ll have to find my friends again. We were just… looking for somewhere safe. Probably nowhere near the waters we knew… What about you?”

Rhouan blinked.

“Sorry, you just… you don’t seem especially happy down there.”

“We can’t be happy all the time,” he muttered.

“No, but you should be happy some of the time.” Simon put a hand on his back and the rough skin stiffened, then slowly relaxed.

“My main concern is survival.”

“I know how that is,” Simon murmured. “But there are good things in life that make survival… worth it.”

“What things?”

Simon looked at him. The larger mer’s teeth poked up above his head, and his craggy features looked entirely sincere.

“Well… for me… being with my friends, taking care of them, but also just… talking to them, swimming and jumping into the air… basking in the sun… There’s just – there’s a lot of good in the world. Even with what’s happening now.”

“Hopefully you’ll be able to return to that soon.”

“…There are good things down here too, aren’t there?”

Rhouan grew quiet. “There… there are, I think,” he murmured distantly.

“Tell me.” Simon stretched and wrapped his finned arms around himself, careful to let the injured one lay loosely on top.

The larger mer was silent, flexing his claws as he thought. “The… the whales and sharks… they’re… graceful. I like to watch them. All the phosphorescent… smaller creatures. There are so many, they… when they think… they’re safe. They… they cluster together and…” He trailed off, looking away. Simon nodded encouragingly, and after a long moment he continued. “I think they’re happy down there. They seem happy.”

“You like seeing others happy,” Simon murmured.

He nodded hesitantly, lure bobbing up and down.

“You said you couldn’t go to the surface?”

“I – no. I used to go up… in the twilight waters when I was younger, with my brother. It wasn’t bad. Farther than that is… uncomfortable. Too… light.”

“Oh – I go down there all the time! Well, up there, from here. We could still visit, when… after I heal.”

“I – if your friends are alive, we can find them,” Rhouan assured him. “It may take time, but I…. I don’t think you need to give up on them yet.”

Simon blinked. “What? Oh no, I’m not! Not at all! But I’d still like keep in touch if we can. If you’d like to.”

“Oh… yes…” Rhouan murmured, staring at him. His heart swelled as Simon smiled. “I would.”

Simon’s injury was gradually healing – he was careful with it, but he made sure to gently stretch it every day. He stayed in the cave, but Rhouan left daily to bring back food and to keep an eye on the area. While he was gone Simon kept still, tried to rest, and watched for his return. He’d never been afraid of the dark, but it was so heavy down here, so all-encompassing, and Rhouan was the strongest light source around. Sometimes they went to the mouth of the cave to watch the phosphorescent jellyfish and other creatures swim by. Rhouan would darken his lure and Simon made sure he was touching the other, just a little. The jellyfish glowed, but compared to them Rhouan’s lure was bright as the sun. Simon missed the sunlight keenly, and he looked forward to Rouan’s return.

Today there were soft noises from the mouth of the cave a few minutes after Rhouan left. Simon stiffened. Whispers came closer, the water rippled, there was a weak glow.

“A manta! You were right!”

“So far down for a manta.”

“And he’s hurt, look.”

“Who are you?” Simon growled, baring his very short teeth. Barely stubs compared to Rhouan’s huge fangs.

“Jerry,” numerous voices answered in unison. Five small squid mers floated up to him, a little more than half his size. Their skin glowed faintly.

“I’m Simon,” he replied warily.

“What are you doing here?”

“What happened to you?”

“Do you need help?”

“I – Thank you, no. I got hurt in an attack by the humans, and I… I ended up in the abyss. My friend’s been… taking care of me.”

“We saw, he’s big,” piped up one of them.

“We didn’t know if he was a friend or…”

“He’s a friend,” Simon assured them. “But… I do appreciate your concern.”

“You’re from above,” one of them piped up. “Do you like it better here?”

“We do,” another said. “Not as many whales.”

“Not as bright,” agreed a third. “Easier to see.”

“Ah – I actually see better up there,” Simon murmured, rubbing his hands together. “And it’s warmer up there. And… I’m worried about my other friends, I don’t know if they made it, or where they are… I don’t know how I’m going to find them again.”

Tentacles undulated lazily in the water, and the Jerries hummed among themselves.

“Perhaps –“

There was a rush of water and a bright light flooded the room as Rhouan suddenly appeared, snarling. The squidfolk darted away immediately.

“It’s okay! It’s okay, they weren’t doing anything,” Simon said quickly. “They were just checking on me, it’s okay. This is my friend Rhouan, it’s okay. These – they’re all called Jerry I think, they seem nice.”

Slowly the toothy mouth closed, though Rhouan kept himself between Simon and the squidfolk.

“Y-yes, nice to meet you…”

“Guess you’ve got things handled here!”

“We were just leaving.”

“Ah – we were…. Do you want us to look for your friends?” one asked, and they all paused at the mouth of the cave.

“Oh, uh… I wouldn’t… that would actually be really helpful, if you’re able to,” Simon exhaled. “Three mers, probably together. Markus is a blue-ringed octopus, North is a blowfish, Josh is a moray eel. …Thank you, I appreciate that more than I can say.”

“No problem! Oh, definitely no problem. We’ll try. We’ll come back if we find them,” the last one called back as they all darted out of the cave.

Rhouan slowly swam to the entrance and bent to gather the shellfish he’d dropped in his haste. “I was afraid… they’d hurt you,” he mumbled.

Simon drifted over. “I know. …I was too, actually. But I think they’re sincere about helping.”

“I – you called me your friend.”

“Of course.”

“I’d like that,” the larger mer whispered. “I… I’m not… I don’t know how to, but… I want to. To try.”

Simon hesitated, then floated over and wrapped his arms loosely around the bigger arm. “You’re doing fine. Really.”

“I don’t want to… scare off anyone who’s being… helpful. Or keep you from your friends.”

“And you’re not,” Simon assured him, catching a big hand as it fidgeted to rub between his own. “I spent a lot of time alone, before I met the others. I know it makes it harder to interact with people. But it’ll get easier.”

Rhouan didn’t answer, but offered Simon the bundle of clams, oysters, and barnacles. Simon pulled him gently along, and they sat at the mouth of the cave, eating together.

“How does your lure work?” he asked curiously between clams.

“I can control it, but it also lights up when I’m startled, or when I… feel something strongly.”

“Is it warm? Can I… touch it?” Simon asked hesitantly.

“It’s… sensitive,” Rhouan murmured, dipping his head and lure. Simon stretched up to gently rub the skin around the base. Rhouan shivered and leaned into his touch. He lightly ran his hand up the stalk to delicately cup the light on the end.

“It’s not warm, but it… I thought it would feel fragile,” he murmured. “It doesn’t.”

“How do you hold things with such smooth hands?” Rhouan blurted out. “How do they not slip through your fingers?”

Simon laughed. “I don’t know, it’s never been a problem! But it helps me glide more smoothly. No resistance.”

“I… like it, I’ve never felt anything so soft. And your pattern. You’re… breathtaking.”

The manta mer looked away. “I – well. You said yourself you… don’t interact with many people…”

“That doesn’t lessen it,” Rhouan insisted.

“I’m… not unique, my pattern’s faded and asymmetrical. And now – even if I swim again, I’ll have a terrible scar.”

“Because you survived a battle that would have killed a lesser person.”

“I fled. I… could barely even do that,” Simon protested faintly.

“You did the right thing.”

Simon sighed, suddenly sagging into the larger mer’s side. “I know. I just – I’m nothing special, and maybe if I were… I could have done something to keep more people safe.”

“It… sounds like there was nothing anyone could do.”

Simon shook his head.

Hesitantly, lightly, Rhouan lay a large, rough hand over Simon’s shoulders. It covered half of them, and was warm and heavy.

“I think you’ll be good with people,” Simon mumbled, leaning into him. “Once you get used to them. You’re kind, thoughtful…”

“I had intended to talk about you,” Rhouan rumbled fondly.

Simon looked up with a grin. “I know what you were doing, I do that exact thing all the time. No, but you’re… you’re reassuring to be around, you’re comforting.”

“Despite being a monster.”

“I’ve never seen anyone like you. But it’s just a matter of… getting used to someone different.” Simon rubbed up his arm. “You’re… you’re built to survive. I have to be smooth to glide along the surface. You can blend into the rocks, light your way and draw in your prey… Your teeth are good for hunting. You’re not a monster, you’re perfect for what you do.” He ran his hand over a slightly ragged pectoral fin. “A monster wouldn’t have saved me, wouldn’t have let those squidfolk go, wouldn’t care about how it affected anyone else. You’re far from a monster.”

The hand on his shoulder curled around to hold him close, always careful of his injury.

A couple weeks later there was a tapping and a soft call from the front of the cave. Rhouan swam up, and two squidfolk darted back quickly.

“We’re – we found Simon’s friends, probably. Three mers – octopus, eel, blowfish! With a lot of others, far west from here.”

Rhouan glanced back in the cave where Simon was sleeping, his heart sinking a little. “Can you tell me exactly where?” he asked quietly. “Or… show us the way?”

“West, due west from here.”

“And south, just a little south.”

“So not due west. West and a little south a long way, pass between two ridges and then… there.”

“Lots of deep trenches beyond – if you get there, that’s too far.”

“We’re going, but we’re getting some friends first.”

“We’ll catch up to you on the way!”

“Thank you for your help,” Rhouan murmured.

“See you on the way!”

“Watch out for whales, lots of them out west!”

“Bye!”

Rhouan watched them dart away, then turned to drift slowly back inside. Simon still wasn’t swimming perfectly, he couldn’t move fast and tended to veer left. But he was strong enough to travel if they moved slowly, if Rhouan looked out for him.

Then he’d be back where he belonged, at the surface with his friends. That would be good to see.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two make their way through dangerous waters, picking up traveling companions and fighting off predators as they go.   
> In the end, the ache doesn't go away entirely. But maybe it will some day.

Rhouan swam steadily through the water, just high enough to catch the slightest amount of sunlight filtering through from above. Simon clung to his back, keeping low. They’d tried a few other ways, and this worked best. If Simon held his hand, they were too uneven to move efficiently. It was also less awkward for movement than holding the smaller mer in his arms, though Rhouan didn’t mind that. And Simon didn’t mind the feel of the powerful muscles moving beneath him or the companionable silence as they swam. Now and then he’d lean forward to whisper into Rhouan’s ear, and the bigger mer smiled.

When they were tired they found a place to camp for the night, and would swim around hunting and scouting the area. Simon could move well enough to gather the crustaceans and plankton he preferred and he’d shoo any bigger fish towards Rhouan, who lay in wait among the rocks with his lure bright. When they had both fed, they would float in a sheltered spot to rest. Now it was warmer and more comfortable for Simon to rest in the big mer’s arms so they didn’t drift apart

“You’ve got some kelp on your back, do you mind if I get it off?” Simon asked after making a careful loop in the water.

Rhouan turned to look, then twisted the area towards Simon so he could get it. It wouldn’t be easy to reach himself. Simon floated over and gently pulled it off, then rubbed softly at the skin around the spines.

“It seems like most mers have scales… but none of my close friends do. I think I’m happier without, they take a bit of grooming and maintenance to keep in good shape.”

“Do you… do anything for your skin?”

“Not really – well, I’ll need to now.” He paused to gingerly touch the tender healing scars, then went back to rubbing slowly up Rhouan’s back. “Some soft mud might help. Maybe really fine sand when it’s healed a little more. If I were at the aquarium –“ He froze suddenly, then bent over to concentrate on the larger mer’s back.

“…Aquarium?”

“It’s nothing,” Simon snapped.

Rhouan twisted slightly to look at him, then nodded and touched his hair lightly. He extended an arm, and Simon wrapped his fins around himself and curled up in the other’s embrace. When Simon spoke again, Rhouan was almost asleep.

“Humans caught me and my brother when we were very young. I don’t know what happened to our parents, but we lived in a huge tank for years. Nothing was private, and we had to put on shows for the humans like trained animals. There was never room to swim and jump the way we wanted to. We would have escaped together, but Daniel… he was so mad – I don’t blame him. I was mad too. But he made me go on ahead, promised he’d catch up… I heard him, though. I was in a pipe that let out to the ocean, it was too small to turn around. But I heard him yelling at them, I heard crashing… I never saw him again.”

Rhouan’s arms curled tighter around him, and their heads touched. Simon clung to him, eventually losing himself in the vibrations of the deep, mournful humming reverberating through the deep mer’s chest.

A few days later the Jerries caught up with them, right around where two ridges rose on either side. The original five were now at least twenty-five – it was hard to keep count when they all darted around so quickly and looked the same. There were also mix of other cephalopod mers. They darted around, chattering eagerly. Simon kept a hand on Rhouan.

“There are… a lot more of you than we expected!”

“Yes, we got a few more. Then some more. Couldn’t leave anyone behind, did you taste the water back there?” One Jerry shook their head. “Hard to breathe!”

“You’re right,” Simon murmured, glancing back the way they’d come. What would happen to that place…?

“Anyway, we know you’re going slow. We’ll spread out, we’ll be around, won’t let you lose us out there!” They grinned, “We’re getting close!”

They turned slightly south after passing the ridges, and the chill water began to warm up a bit.

“You’ll like the others. I know they’ll like you. Well – if North and Josh haven’t killed each other without me there to mediate. They both have strong opinions. Markus does too, but he’s more levelheaded about it. And – I don’t know, there’s something about him that just… makes you want to follow him.”

“…What’s your place among them?” Rhouan murmured.

“Settling debates – or stopping fights when things get too heated. Making sure everyone gets to eat, making sure we have a safe place to rest…”

“A caretaker.”

Simon nodded, close enough that Rhouan felt it. “It’s a role I like. What about you? Were there many others in the abyss? Other than your family?”

Rhouan frowned slightly. “I’ve seen others. More when I was young. …We don’t live together, I think. Not… the way you’re talking about.”

Simon was quiet for a moment, letting the water catch his fins as they moved. “I… listen, you’re welcome… anywhere I am, you’re welcome. And my friends up there will be welcoming, too. But if you’re uncomfortable, I didn’t mean to force this on you. In fact – I didn’t think about it. If you’re not used to it, this… I hope you haven’t been uncomfortable with me all this time.” He didn’t seem like he was, but now Simon was doubting his judgment.

“No,” Rhouan answered after a short pause. “It’s… not a life I’m used to. It’s different. And I did consider… leaving you in the cave once you could breathe. Just leaving fish for you so you didn’t starve. But I enjoy your company. And… I often don’t know what to say or do with… someone else, but… you don’t seem to hold it against me.”

“Of course not!” Simon hugged his broad neck, pressing his smooth face to the bumpy skin of Rhouan’s back. “You don’t have to know all the time. I don’t. Sometimes it’s enough to just… be together. Not to have to do or say anything.”

A smile stretched across Rhouan’s toothy face. “…I think the cephalo mers would be exhausting after a while,” he whispered over his shoulder. “Though they’re very agreeable.”

Simon pressed his face into Rhouan’s back to hide a laugh. “I like them a lot… but I completely understand.”

The two mostly stayed a bit behind and below the cephalopods, though they were always watching out for danger. The squidfolk darted around, teasing predators and leaving them in a cloud of ink when they made trouble. Only once did Rhouan gently shake Simon off to swim up, brandishing his teeth at a gam of mako sharks that were trying to herd the cephalopods towards a pod of sperm whales looming overhead. They quickly drew back, and a few squid and octopus mers laughed and blew ink at them as they fled. By the time Simon swam up to join them, they were darting around exclaiming over Rhouan’s prowess in battle.

“I… I didn’t actually fight them,” he mumbled.

“They knew better than to try,” Simon said with a grin, grabbing a big half-clenched fist. It slowly relaxed under his touch.

“We should move on,” Rhouan muttered, glancing up. The sperm whales still circled lazily above.

“Our hero,” Simon whispered fondly as they set out again. They didn’t stop for a long time, but soon after they did, Rhouan scowled up at the dark shapes of the whales still above, not far behind them.

“They’ve eaten lots of us,” one of the Jerries said, tentacles coiling around each other. “Hurt even more. That’s what happened to Ralph.”

Rhouan’s eyes narrowed, glancing at a heavily scarred cuttlefish mer who cringed away. “They can’t keep following us.”

“They’re too big!” Simon called as he suddenly swam upwards. “Rhouan? There are too many of them!”

“He’s right, they’re fierce,” a Jerry added, darting up next to him. “And faster than they look.”

“Keep going, I’ll catch up,” the deep mer growled, and Jerry flitted away.

As he rose, the light grew brighter. He didn’t need his lure to see everything for a great distance. Was that what Simon was used to seeing every day? …Everything? It was disconcerting. What he’d taken to be four or five whales were now clearly at least fifteen. And as he continued to ascend, the bright light began obscuring everything. Like the abyss, but in reverse. He stopped short, wary of blinding himself around the whales and uncertain of the best way to get their attention.

Luckily he didn’t need to. One of the larger whales swam up to him. It was at least three times his size, covered in old battle scars. Its head was as big as he was… It could swallow him easily –

“What depths did you float up from?” the big whale rumbled.

Rhouan stared at it. “Why are you following us?” he finally snapped.

“Looking for a meal. Don’t think I’d want a mouthful like you, though.” The whale’s lip curled back in disgust.

“Try my venom, see what you think,” Rhouan snarled. “The cephalopods and manta mer are under my protection.”

“Why is that thing on your head lighting up?” asked a smaller whale, swimming over lazily. “Too dark up here for you?” A few more whales snickered in the background.

“Small fins, can’t be very fast.”

“Did your teeth never stop growing?”

“Did you sit still for too long and get colonized by barnacles?”

The whales rumbled with laughter.

“You look like –“

Rhouan shot upwards and sank his teeth into the biggest whale’s upper lip, then dug in his claws to hold himself in place. The whale roared and reared back, whipping around violently. The other whales drew back uncertainly.

“To answer your questions,” Rhouan hissed, not encumbered by his mouthful, “Barnacles are a decent snack. My teeth are long enough for my purposes, clearly. And I think I’m fast enough.”

“Get off! _Get off, let go!_ ” the whale bellowed.

“That’s harder if you won’t stop thrashing around like a fool.” He pulled a few times before yanking free, taking a chunk of lip with him. He slid it off his teeth and took a bite, staring the injured whale down. “Tough and tasteless. No good to me. Go back where you came from.”

Another whale charged at him and he dropped when she got close, causing her to bump into the bigger one. He then darted up and raked her with his claws.

They had him surrounded now, but he was faster and had more weapons at his disposal.

The biggest whale reared back and charged forward with his mouth open, gaping teeth bared, when a black and white shape shot up and attached to his left eye. He roared and pulled up before crashing into Rhouan, thrashing around and knocking into a few other whales. They had other problems however, with squidfolk and other cephalopods darting here and there, squirting ink in their eyes. They were all crashing into each other now, bellowing in confusion. Rhouan darted forward when he saw an opening and dug his claws into the biggest whale’s head near his eye. He gently peeled off Simon, who was clinging to some rough scar tissue, and angled his lure right at the bared eyeball.

“I can rip you to shreds right here, or you can agree to leave us in peace,” he growled. “We’ll be out of your hunting grounds shortly.” The whale tried to throw him off and he lunged forward, teeth puncturing the skin next to the eye. “Try again.”

“Go!” the whale howled, bleeding freely now. “Go, just go!” He pulled away, bashing into another confused whale.

“Come on,” Simon urged the others, and in an instant the cephalopods had darted away, leaving a mass of ink, blood, and outrage in their wake. Simon grabbed Rhouan’s shoulders and they swam away quickly.

“We won!” exclaimed a Jerry.

“That was amazing!”

“You were incredible!”

“Next time pull his eye out!”

“There won’t be a next time,” Rhouan muttered grimly.

“…I had a hard time hanging on,” Simon confessed, still grinning at the adrenaline coursing through him. “I just kept thinking about what you said – I’m too smooth!”

“You did it, though,” Rhouan murmured. “I would have been in trouble if you hadn’t shown up when you did. I didn’t realize you could swim so fast now.”

“…It hurt,” Simon admitted. “And a couple Jerries gave me a boost. They did a lot more than I did. …You’re amazing, but I couldn’t just watch while you fought.”

“You’re a warrior,” Rhouan rumbled fondly. “Even injured and smooth.”

Simon laughed, hugging his neck. “I’d rather not be, but I’ll protect you if I can.”

“My hero,” Rhouan murmured, smiling toothily.

In a few days, they came upon a sunken freighter on the edge of a plateau. Faded lettering proclaimed it JERICHO. It was high enough in the twilight water that Simon could see well, but low enough that Rhouan wasn’t blinded. The cephalopods zipped in, led by the Jerries who had been here before. Rhouan stopped at the entrance.

“Are you all right?” Simon asked.

“I – it’s too small for me,” Rhouan muttered, gently shouldering Simon off his back. “Go ahead.”

“I’ll bet there’s a larger entrance at the top, or –“

“Go,” Rhouan repeated, and hesitated briefly before cupping his face gently in one large, rough hand. “I’ll be nearby.”

Simon squeezed his hand and leaned into it. “I’ll be back.”

It ached, watching him swim away and disappear into the ship. Rhouan glanced down at the darker water, the abyss far below. It felt suffocating just to look at it. He could sink back down without a sound, and soon no one would remember him, lost to the darkness again. He drifted down into the shadow of the sunken ship and leaned against it, listening to the faint buzz of excited voices inside.

“Rhouan?” Simon called out after a while. 

The larger mer jumped a little, spines rising, then slowly floated out of the shadows.

“This is Rhouan,” Simon said, floating over to take his hand. “He saved me, and got us all safely here. This is North, Josh, and Markus.”

“Simon said you fought a pod of sperm whales,” North the blowfish said, swimming slowly over. “He didn’t mention you probably could’ve taken them all on your own! Shit, look at you!”

“That was the original plan, I think,” Simon said, rolling his eyes and leaning into Rhouan.

“Is your lure voluntary?” Josh the eel mer asked, swimming up but stopping a more respectful distance away.

“M-mostly,” Rhouan muttered.

“We can’t thank you enough for helping Simon,” Markus said. Bright blue rings stood out against his deep golden skin, and his eight legs each gripped rocks and tools and bits of debris. “And the others. We should all be safe here, at least for now. There haven’t been any attacks while we’ve been here.”

“I was glad to help,” Rhouan mumbled, then looked up. “The tube – the submarine you left him in fell, there were scavengers down in the dark… I couldn’t let him die.” A hand rose protectively to Simon’s back.

“I’m glad all of you got out alive, too,” Simon said quickly. “…Is there a larger entrance anywhere? Maybe up on deck?”

“There’s a hatch that drops to the hold, it should be big enough,” Markus said. “You’re welcome here.”

“…Thank you. I – I’ll take a look,” Rhouan muttered. “But I won’t stay.”

Simon turned, taking his hand.

“I need to be a bit deeper, where it’s not so bright.” He hesitated, focusing on Simon. “I’d… like to find a cave nearby, though. Just a bit farther down the slope.”

“I could help you look if you want,” Simon offered hesitantly.

Rhouan smiled shyly through his massive teeth. “If you have time…”

“I always have time for you,” Simon assured him, grinning back.

As they swam up to the deck, the ache in his chest was less noticeable. It didn’t disappear altogether, but maybe it would one day. Simon didn’t let go of his hand, and he didn’t let go either.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I have a vague plan, but we'll see where this goes. You can always find me on [Tumblr!](http://anomalous-appliances.tumblr.com)


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